A BRIDE and groom to be have come up with a new way to celebrate their partnership after the lockdown scuppered their wedding plans.

Laura Bassingthwaighte and Dale Hubbard of New Park, Castle Hedingham have been getting attention on social media after live-streaming their 'promise day'.

Along with their kids Willow, three, and Herbie, 18 months, the couple hosted a wedding themed celebration on the day their wedding was supposed to take place, Saturday 20 June.

The couple hosted the event in their garden, streaming it live on Facebook, inviting some guests, and having their children act as a page boy and flower girl.

Laura said: "When we got the call from the registry office to say we would not be able to go ahead with our big day, we thought of an alternative.

"We liked the idea of having a promise day, a day that would commemorate the day that would have been.

"We had a a few traditions, not seeing each other the night before- Dale slept in our summer house.

"We also wanted to wear our wedding clothes, but I did not want to wear my actual wedding dress, so as a surprise to Dale, I wore my mum’s dress, which is 45 years old this month, as they just celebrated their Sapphire anniversary on 7 June.

"To our surprise a friend dropped off a cake for us on the day and my next door neighbours were my florists and guests.

"My parents were the videographer and photographer and we live streamed it on Facebook for all our family and friends to see.

"The ceremony used a traditional pagan hand fasting , binding our hands with a special cloth. Ours was my late paternal Grandmother’s scarf.

"The day was a magical intimate moment in time, one that we would not have got if the wedding day we had originally planned.

"I shared my story on social media and it went viral, sparking other people to consider a promise day too."